This invention relates to an apparatus and process for frying pancakes, particularly for the mass production of fresh, finished fried potato pancakes.
Potato pancakes as a delicacy are widely prepared, especially in German households and also at outdoor stands of open air festivals. Every housewife and cook has his or her own recipe for the preparation of the product made.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,931 to Feehan discloses an apparatus for frying one side of a potato pancake for subsequent freezing and packing. The pancakes are only partially cooked because the intent is to only blanch the product to hold it together for freezing and later finishing and consumption elsewhere.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,293 to Wilhelm, et al. discloses devices for frying edible goods, such as meats. The edible goods are transported through the device on a single looped conveyor having an upper horizontal course and a lower horizontal course, which conveyor includes a series of longitudinally spaced, preferably blade-shaped elements, which entrain the goods to be fried. The entraining blades hold the goods over a first frying pan beneath the upper course of the conveyor, then through a stationary guide channel which follows the conveyor along its turn from the upper horizontal course to the lower horizontal course, and then over a second frying pan beneath the conveyor's lower course so as to allow roasting of the top side of the goods by a second lower, stationary frying pan. Sprinklers above the frying pans supply hot fat for the frying.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,590 to Kochan discloses an apparatus for flipping doughnuts on a conveyor belt while they are being fried.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,696,735 and 3,794,745 to Boertje, et al. disclose a zigzag slide for frying foods in which both the foods and the frying oil tumble down the slide during cooking.